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Dallas News, Sports, Classified, and EventsMon, 19 Mar 2018 00:12:33 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4Luzerne County Ethics Commission voting challengedhttps://www.mydallaspost.com/news/local/32505/luzerne-county-ethics-commission-voting-challenged
https://www.mydallaspost.com/news/local/32505/luzerne-county-ethics-commission-voting-challenged#respondMon, 19 Mar 2018 00:12:33 +0000https://www.mydallaspost.com/?p=32505Luzerne County’s ethics commission hired two outside attorneys last week to help process complaints that are piling up, including one still sealed in its envelope since July. However, a county councilwoman and two citizens are questioning the approval process for those lawyers, arguing the commission did not fulfill requirements for a meeting quorum. As required […]

]]>Luzerne County’s ethics commission hired two outside attorneys last week to help process complaints that are piling up, including one still sealed in its envelope since July.

However, a county councilwoman and two citizens are questioning the approval process for those lawyers, arguing the commission did not fulfill requirements for a meeting quorum.

As required by the county’s home rule charter, the five-member commission is composed of the county manager, the elected district attorney and controller and two council-appointed citizens — one Democrat and one Republican. Both citizen seats are currently vacant.

The three county officials — Manager C. David Pedri, District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis and Controller Michelle Bednar — met last week to approve the hiring of outside attorneys Nanda Palissery and Michael Sharkey at $140 per hour.

The commission had been trying for months to attract three outside attorneys as required by the council-adopted ethics code to handle initial investigations on a rotating basis and recommend whether cases should be dismissed or upgraded to formal matters heard by the commission. An applicant for the third lawyer slot has not surfaced.

Councilwoman Linda McClosky Houck and two citizens — Brian Shiner and Walter Griffith — are challenging the legality of the vote because no citizen commission member participated in the attorney hiring decision.

The charter says any three ethics commission members shall constitute a quorum and have the power to perform the functions of the commission.

But the council-adopted ethics code — officially called the Accountability, Conduct, and Ethics Code, nicknamed ACE — enhances the requirement, saying one of the three constituting a quorum must be a citizen member.

McClosky Houck sent an email asking Pedri, Salavantis and Bednar to reconsider and nullify last week’s meeting decisions. Her email also went to Chief County Solicitor Romilda Crocamo, who had concluded the attorney hiring by the three county officials was permissible.

“For anyone to declare that the ACE Code does not prevail in the definition of what constitutes a quorum is a slap in the face of home rule government, and particularly negates the role of citizens in the oversight of ethical government operations,” McClosky Houck wrote.

Council had added the citizen member stipulation to avoid an “‘insider’ quorum that is possible without citizen participation in a meeting,” she wrote.

McClosky Houck also pointed to a section of the charter that says “more stringent regulations and penalties shall control” when applicable laws differ from the county ethics code.

Respect for county codes is a “grave concern,” she wrote, noting she currently serves on a council committee reviewing updates to all county codes, including the ethics one.

Crocamo said Friday she will soon release a written opinion on the matter, but she stressed she is not asserting the ethics code quorum requirement should be ignored.

Crocamo said she interpreted the “more stringent regulations and penalties” clause as applying to the commission’s involvement in determining the outcome of ethics complaints. She agreed a citizen must be part of a quorum in deciding complaints but not for the procedural hiring of outside attorneys needed so the commission can deal with actual complaints.

“My position at the meeting was that the appointment of an attorney is not a regulation or sanction,” she said.

Pedri told council there are currently 34 pending complaints, and the outside attorneys will each handle 17 once their contracts are signed.

Citizen member

It’s unclear when the two unpaid citizen seats will be filled.

Griffith, a prior county controller, publicly interviewed for the Republican seat and was listed on the eligibility list for consideration at last week’s council meeting.

Council Vice Chairman Eugene Kelleher described Griffith’s interview as “excellent,” but he said a legal opinion was needed.

Griffith had pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of obstructing the administration of law for illegally recording three conversations in 2010 and 2011 when he previously served as county controller. The county law office said it would be seeking an outside legal opinion to prevent a conflict.

Council members Edward Brominski and Stephen A. Urban criticized the handling of Griffith’s prospective appointment, and both nominated him for the seat.

“We’ve got to get this ACE Commission moving, and no one is interested in doing it. We only have one person with the fortitude to stand up and do it, and that is Walter Griffith,” Brominski said.

A council majority tabled the appointment.

Griffith withdrew his name from consideration during public comment later in the meeting. He said he submitted his application to help out because there were none, but he does not want taxpayers to pay for an outside attorney.

He said outside legal reviews of many other aspects of county government are warranted.

“Shame on you all. You should be all as pure as snow, every one of you,” Griffith said. “I bet if I look in your closets, I’ll find lots of stuff.”

]]>https://www.mydallaspost.com/news/local/32505/luzerne-county-ethics-commission-voting-challenged/feed0Luzerne County union rejects proposed contracthttps://www.mydallaspost.com/news/local/32502/luzerne-county-union-rejects-proposed-contract
https://www.mydallaspost.com/news/local/32502/luzerne-county-union-rejects-proposed-contract#respondSun, 18 Mar 2018 14:45:26 +0000https://www.mydallaspost.com/?p=32502Members of the Luzerne County’s AFSCME residual union recently rejected a proposed contract, leaving the status of negotiations unclear, according to county Administrative Services Division Head David Parsnik. Described as the “rank-and-file” contract, the residual agreement covers 165 workers, including 911 telecommunicators, security guards and some employees in road and bridge, building and grounds, mapping, […]

]]>Members of the Luzerne County’s AFSCME residual union recently rejected a proposed contract, leaving the status of negotiations unclear, according to county Administrative Services Division Head David Parsnik.

Described as the “rank-and-file” contract, the residual agreement covers 165 workers, including 911 telecommunicators, security guards and some employees in road and bridge, building and grounds, mapping, voter services and several other offices.

Residual workers can’t seek binding arbitration if negotiations reach an impasse because they have the right to strike. Parsnik said both sides are scheduled to meet again soon.

Proposed agreements were approved by union workers in three human service departments represented by Teamsters Local 401 — Children and Youth, Mental Health and Developmental Services and Aging — Parsnik said. County council must approve the contracts.

Workers in the final union with a contract that expired Dec. 31 — AFSCME court-related — are expected to vote on the county’s proposal this week, Parsnik said.

• Potholes on area roads — including 127 miles owned by the county — were discussed at last week’s county council work session.

County Manager C. David Pedri said his inbox has been “quite busy” with pothole concerns the last two weeks.

“I busted my tire on a state route out here,” Pedri said. “It’s been a difficult winter for Northeastern Pennsylvania.”

County road and bridge crews have been working overtime repairing potholes, but a more lasting “hot patch” asphalt solution likely won’t be available until this week, Pedri said.

• Council Vice Chairman Eugene Kelleher said Pennsylvania has one of the highest gas taxes in the country, prompting him and many others to question why more revenue isn’t invested in repairing existing roads.

“I’m really ticked off wondering where the crap all our money is going,” Kelleher said. “I’m not happy with the state and how they’re fixing our roads with all the money we’re giving them.”

Kelleher said his residence is on a state road in Dallas Township, and there are no potholes in his area.

“They’re foxholes. I went in one, and I had to get a ladder to get out,” he said.

• Filling vacancies in the road and bridge department has been a challenge, Pedri said. He told council he is in the process of hiring someone for one equipment operator position, but the county has been unsuccessful recruiting applicants for the three remaining operator openings, despite rounds of advertisements.

Councilman Robert Schnee blamed the $25,000 starting salary, which equates to $12.02 per hour.

“Where are you going to get a backhoe operator for $12?” Schnee asked. “You’re just not going to find one.”

Pedri said the compensation is set by union contract.

• The county’s current annual capital plan had removed a $1 million allocation toward the $2 million replacement of the demolished Division Street Bridge over Solomon Creek, but Pedri said the project may still be completed.

The work may be largely covered by a portion of the $15 million in county community development funds that will be earmarked for infrastructure, primarily in low and moderate income areas, Pedri said. The money comes from a business development loan fund that is no longer in high demand.

Pedri said he is working with Hanover Township and Wilkes-Barre officials on the project, stressing both municipalities also will be expected to contribute funding and reach an agreement on future ownership. The county already owns 304 bridges, most inherited during the Great Depression.

“At the end of the day, the county does not want to own that bridge,” Pedri said.

Hanover Township residents had urged county officials to restore the capital fund earmark, saying loss of the bridge has led to bottlenecks and hazardous driving by motorists cutting through side streets to escape congestion.

• Two new 2,170-pound boilers have been set up in the courthouse subbasement and are awaiting connection by UGI Energy Services, Pedri told council.

The new heating system will end the county’s reliance on steam delivered through an aging and deteriorating underground pipe linked to a boiler plant near the prison on Water Street.

Pennsylvania-based McClure Company, which is handling the project, also has been on site completing building weatherproofing.

Luzerne County Courthouse

https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_luzerne-county-courthouse-3.jpgLuzerne County Courthouse

By Jennifer Learn-Andes

jandes@timesleader.com

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes .

]]>https://www.mydallaspost.com/news/local/32502/luzerne-county-union-rejects-proposed-contract/feed0Dallas roundabout construction to gear up in late Marchhttps://www.mydallaspost.com/features/life/32500/dallas-roundabout-construction-to-gear-up-in-late-march
https://www.mydallaspost.com/features/life/32500/dallas-roundabout-construction-to-gear-up-in-late-march#respondSun, 18 Mar 2018 14:13:39 +0000https://www.mydallaspost.com/?p=32500DALLAS — Continued work on the Dallas roundabout is scheduled to begin the end of March starting with a three-week closure of a section of Church Street, said James May, a PennDOT spokesperson. Back Mountain motorists should plan on traffic delays as a series of road closures and detours associated with the ongoing construction of […]

]]>DALLAS — Continued work on the Dallas roundabout is scheduled to begin the end of March starting with a three-week closure of a section of Church Street, said James May, a PennDOT spokesperson.

Back Mountain motorists should plan on traffic delays as a series of road closures and detours associated with the ongoing construction of the Dallas roundabout this summer, May said. The state project is on track for a summer 2019 completion, weather pending, he said.

Church Street will be the first to close.

“Church Street will be closed from the Route 309 intersection to Foster Street,” May wrote in an email. “Access to the (Dallas) Post Office and CVS will be via the planned signed detour.”

Detours will be signed.

Construction crews will realign Church Street’s intersection with Lake and Main streets, Route 415 and Machell Avenue, as well as installing sidewalks, curbing, American with Disabilities Act-compliant sidewalk ramps and stormwater drainage, May said.

When Church Street is completed, barriers on Route 415 will limit truck traffic through the area for nine months, while the road is realigned for the roundabout, curbing, stormwater drainage installed, and ADA sidewalk ramps are constructed, he said.

“We are maintaining two lanes of traffic on Route 415 through all phases of this project,” May said. “However, there will be a truck detour in place for northbound trucks with trailers greater than 33 feet in length through a number of phases totaling about nine months between this year and next year. Southbound trucks will have no restriction.”

Northbound truck traffic will be detoured using Routes 309, 29 or 118

“There will be various stages throughout that time where the barriers will be lifted for a short period, and then put back in place,” he said.

Main Street will be closed from mid-July to late-September for realignment, curbing, stormwater drainage, sidewalks and ADA sidewalk ramps, May said.

“Main Street will be closed from the intersection with Route 415 to the other side of the Dallas Borough Building driveway,” May said. “However, a revised plan is currently being reviewed to possibly split this phase and do half of Main Street at a time to prevent full closure.”

A detour will direct traffic from Main Street to the intersection with Route 309 near Offset Paperback Manufacturers.

Patrons will still be able to access downtown businesses during this closure, May said.

“Some of the businesses have a driveway. Others will utilize street parking outside the closure and access businesses on foot,” May said. “The contractor will be maintaining areas for pedestrian traffic.”

The Dallas roundabout was first proposed in a 2005 Back Mountain Area Transportation Study done by Edwards and Kelcey. Its completion is dependent upon the Upper Demunds Road realignment project in Dallas Township.

The realignment project will reroute Upper Demunds Road to connect with state Route 309 near the Dallas Township Municipal Building. The project also involves creating left turn lanes to West Center Hill Road and Hildebrandt Road.

The new section of Upper Demunds Road is slated to open in late April depending on the Route 309 traffic light activation, May said.

Suez is expected to install a waterline along the new section of Upper Demunds Road this summer.

“There is still a right turn lane needing to be constructed from SR 309 onto Upper Demunds as planned when the waterline relocation is complete,” May said.

The Upper Demunds Road project is on schedule to be completed in June 2019 but the contractor is currently ahead of schedule, May said.

Continued construction of the Dallas roundabout will start in late March with the closure of Church Street for three weeks.

https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_roundabout.jpgContinued construction of the Dallas roundabout will start in late March with the closure of Church Street for three weeks. Eileen Godin | Dallas Post

The new section of Upper Demunds Road is scheduled to be open this spring.

https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_Upper-Demunds.jpgThe new section of Upper Demunds Road is scheduled to be open this spring. Eileen Godin | Dallas Post

]]>https://www.mydallaspost.com/features/life/32500/dallas-roundabout-construction-to-gear-up-in-late-march/feed0Luzerne County seeking prison medical, mental health providerhttps://www.mydallaspost.com/news/local/32497/luzerne-county-seeking-prison-medical-mental-health-provider
https://www.mydallaspost.com/news/local/32497/luzerne-county-seeking-prison-medical-mental-health-provider#respondSun, 18 Mar 2018 02:42:09 +0000https://www.mydallaspost.com/?p=32497WILKES-BARRE — Still reeling from the deaths of four female inmates since June, Luzerne County government is shopping around for a prison medical and mental health services provider. County council had approved a three-year contract with Kansas-based Correct Care Solutions (CCS) in March 2015 as part of a prior administration’s recommendation to partially outsource the […]

]]>WILKES-BARRE — Still reeling from the deaths of four female inmates since June, Luzerne County government is shopping around for a prison medical and mental health services provider.

County council had approved a three-year contract with Kansas-based Correct Care Solutions (CCS) in March 2015 as part of a prior administration’s recommendation to partially outsource the services to save the county approximately $600,000 annually.

Under the contract, Correct Care is paid around $2.1 million per year to provide a range of services and personnel, including a medical and mental health team to perform inmate screening, health assessments and examinations.

Correct Care representatives were grilled by county council in January as part of a presentation scheduled in the wake of the Jan. 9 suicide of 21-year-old prisoner Hailey Povisil.

Two other inmates died from hangings deemed suicides last year: Brooke Griesing on June 8 and Tricia Cooper on July 25. The July 7 death of Joan Rosengrant was ruled accidental; it was caused by the combined effect of prescription drugs complicated by her unspecified physical condition, officials determined.

County Manager C. David Pedri told council last week the administration has negotiated a one-month contract extension with Correct Care, at its current rates, through April 30. Council will be asked next month to approve a longer extension as the county publicly seeks proposals from Correct Care and any other interested entities.

Posted at www.luzernecounty.org, the request for proposals contains an April 30 submission deadline and a May 30 target for vendor selection and contract negotiation.

Opt-out clause

Any contract extension with Correct Care will contain a 120-day opt-out clause that can be triggered for any reason in case the county opts to transition to another provider, Pedri said, stressing the county is encouraging Correct Care to apply.

“Obviously, the medical services, especially with regards to mental health, have been a hot button of contention in this room and in other rooms throughout the county to say the least,” Pedri said.

County officials continue to explore options to prevent suicides and improve mental health services, he said.

The administration is finalizing contracts with experts to perform independent psychiatric reviews of the four female inmate deaths, Pedri said.

County Councilman Stephen A. Urban said he had the impression from Correct Care’s January presentation that some were trying to make the company a “scapegoat” for the four deaths.

“I didn’t think that that was very appropriate,” Urban told Pedri. “They’re a medical provider. They don’t run that facility. You run that facility along with the warden.”

Pedri said that wasn’t his intention, because the county and company are “in this together.”

“I think we have to take a good, hard look at CCS as well as internal policies as well as everything else we do at the prison, which we have,” Pedri said.

CCS duties

Correct Care must arrange and fund on-site suicide intervention, therapy, evaluations and other mental health services plus provide at least four hours of weekly focus on women’s health issues, according to its contract. Prescription and non-prescription drugs, emergency ambulance transport and other medical treatment also are included in the package.

The county continues to employ 13 unionized licensed practical nurses at the prison on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre and the nearby minimum offenders building on Reichard Street, but they take direction from Correct Care, according to the county. While county staffers can refer inmates to suicide watch, the company determines when they are removed from heightened monitoring.

Steps taken by the company to improve monitoring following the four deaths included the addition of another full-time mental health professional and the use of computer pads so clinical staffers can visit inmates instead of making them report to an office.

Some county officials complained about absences of company staff. The contract calls for registered nurses to be on duty 24/7. However, the company is not penalized for vacancies unless they exceed 30 days, when a credit is applied, officials said.

County Correctional Services Division Head Mark Rockovich has said there have been cases where one of the registered nurse positions was vacant for more than 30 days. The contract predates his July 2016 hiring as division head, and he said he would not have negotiated a contract allowing vacancies.

Pedri told council the county has followed up on the issue and obtained credits, but the administration wants the staffers — not credits.

Luzerne County government is shopping around for a prison medical and mental health services provider to serve the lockup on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre. The move comes on the heels of four inmate deaths since last summer.

https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_lccf01.jpgLuzerne County government is shopping around for a prison medical and mental health services provider to serve the lockup on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre. The move comes on the heels of four inmate deaths since last summer.

By Jennifer Learn-Andes

jandes@timesleader.com

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.

]]>https://www.mydallaspost.com/news/local/32497/luzerne-county-seeking-prison-medical-mental-health-provider/feed0Tour will show PSU’s Hayfield House from servants’ perspectivehttps://www.mydallaspost.com/news/local/32495/tour-will-show-psus-hayfield-house-from-servants-perspective
https://www.mydallaspost.com/news/local/32495/tour-will-show-psus-hayfield-house-from-servants-perspective#respondSun, 18 Mar 2018 01:46:01 +0000https://www.mydallaspost.com/?p=32495LEHMAN TWP. — It began life as a coal baron’s mansion and became part of a college campus, but there’s another side of Hayfield House’s history that most visitors don’t hear about. An upcoming tour aims to change that. “Imagine being a servant in the 1930s and shown the ballroom in Hayfield House,” said Megan […]

]]>LEHMAN TWP. — It began life as a coal baron’s mansion and became part of a college campus, but there’s another side of Hayfield House’s history that most visitors don’t hear about.

An upcoming tour aims to change that.

“Imagine being a servant in the 1930s and shown the ballroom in Hayfield House,” said Megan Mac Gregor, the acting head librarian and student engagement and outreach librarian at Nesbitt Library at Penn State Wilkes-Barre.

“You are not thinking ‘Wow I get to live here,’ but ‘I have to clean this,’” Mac Gregor said.

“Below Stairs at Hayfield: Women Servants” will showcase the lifestyle of domestic workers at the 50-room mansion when it was occupied by the Conyngham family.

The house tour, organized by Arts at Hayfield, will be held on Saturday, March 24.

“We will go through the house from the servants’ perspective,” Mac Gregor said.

Attendees will tour the servants’ quarters, learn what it was like to be a servant in the early 20th century, and get a rare glimpse of Hayfield House’s basement vault, where the Conynghams had separate rooms to store their furs, wine and silver, Mac Gregor said.

Hayfield House was built for John Nesbitt Conyngham and his wife Bertha, who took up residence on Thanksgiving Day 1933, according to a Penn State history of the home.

John Conyngham was a president and director with several large corporations, director and vice president of Miners National Bank in Wilkes-Barre and had an interest in several coal companies. He would not enjoy the palatial surroundings of his new home for long, however, dying in his bedroom on July 12, 1935, at the age of 69. His wife lived on until 1964, however.

Penn State Wilkes-Barre, which opened in the city in 1916, dedicated its new campus at the Hayfield site in 1968.

The house tour idea was inspired by letters from John and Bertha Conyngham, Mac Gregor said.

When staff began sorting through archives for Penn State Wilkes-Barre’s centennial in 2016, they found the home’s blueprints, as well as some letters that referred to servants by only their first names.

“That was common practice at the time,” Mac Gregor said.

The information set Mac Gregor on a hunt for more. She tapped into the census records and tried to piece together information about the servants.

She found the Conynghams’ cook from their Wilkes-Barre home, Mary Bailey, was brought to Hayfield House when the couple moved.

Mac Gregor also learned about how difficult the cook’s job may have been.

One of the letters from John Conyngham reports that “their cook was having quite a bit of trouble with the coal stove” at Hayfield House, Mac Gregor said.

The stove’s drafting mechanism was not working properly, the letter stated. Coal-stove drafting aids in air flow to the fire and allows gases to vent.

“Imagine trying to cook a 12-course meal on a coal stove that does not draft and makes a mess every time you try to use it,” Mac Gregor said. “Then you have to stop cooking and clean up the mess.”

The tour also will include general information about what it was like being employed as a servant in America at that time, Mac Gregor said.

Working as a servant was not considered a reputable job in the 1930s, Mac Gregor noted, and many were first- or second-generation citizens without skills.

“I found an account of a woman telling her mother that she took a job as a servant,” describing someone who was not connected with the Conyngham family. “Her mother cried, probably wondering what she did wrong.”

This 1964 photograph shows what is believed to be a servant in Hayfield House, according to Megan Mac Gregor, acting head librarian and student engagement and outreach librarian at Nesbitt Library at Penn State Wilkes-Barre in Lehman Township.

https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_servant-photo-sept-1964.jpgThis 1964 photograph shows what is believed to be a servant in Hayfield House, according to Megan Mac Gregor, acting head librarian and student engagement and outreach librarian at Nesbitt Library at Penn State Wilkes-Barre in Lehman Township. Submitted photos

]]>https://www.mydallaspost.com/news/local/32495/tour-will-show-psus-hayfield-house-from-servants-perspective/feed0Ryan DeCosmo resigns as Hazle Township’s new tax collectorhttps://www.mydallaspost.com/news/local/32492/ryan-decosmo-resigns-as-hazle-townships-new-tax-collector
https://www.mydallaspost.com/news/local/32492/ryan-decosmo-resigns-as-hazle-townships-new-tax-collector#respondFri, 16 Mar 2018 22:27:34 +0000https://www.mydallaspost.com/?p=32492Luzerne County Democratic Committee Chairman Michael DeCosmo was appointed Hazle Township tax collector Friday evening after his son, Ryan, resigned from the elected post so taxpayers wouldn’t be saddled with higher bonding costs, officials said. Ryan DeCosmo’s bond would have cost the township, Luzerne County and the Hazleton Area School District a combined $81,722 in […]

]]>Luzerne County Democratic Committee Chairman Michael DeCosmo was appointed Hazle Township tax collector Friday evening after his son, Ryan, resigned from the elected post so taxpayers wouldn’t be saddled with higher bonding costs, officials said.

Ryan DeCosmo’s bond would have cost the township, Luzerne County and the Hazleton Area School District a combined $81,722 in 2018, compared to last year’s $7,208 for his father, who had previously served as collector.

Township Supervisor Chairman Jim Montone said Ryan was appointed deputy collector at the special township meeting Friday. Deputies must be covered by the bond of the elected or appointed collector, and Montone said he expects Michael’s bond will end up “more in line” with the 2017 bonding amount.

Montone commended both men.

“As we all know in Hazle Township, the DeCosmo family’s interests were always that the voters and taxpayers came first. They proved that tonight by doing what they did just because of the fact that the bond was so high,” Montone said.

Montone criticized the county controller’s office for its focus on the bond, saying he hasn’t heard of another case in which bonding has received such intense media coverage. Montone said he will request a list of historical bonding amounts for all officials in the county to see if others stand out and publicly release any findings.

“As far as I’m concerned, this was a witch-hunt from day one,” Montone said. “It’s a sad day for the township and a sad day for Luzerne County, because it’s nonsense.”

Background

Ryan had originally turned in a bond issued to his father. County Controller Michelle Bednar released an audit Feb. 9 concluding this bond was invalid because state law requires bonds be in an elected collector’s own name. Several county council members publicly praised Bednar this week for examining the issue.

Michael had characterized Bednar’s interest in the matter as a “political ploy,” maintaining she was upset with him as party chair because she supported county council candidate Dave Popiak in last year’s primary, and he did not win. Bednar has said her review was not personal and that she pointed out the bonding issue because the law is clear and she was put in office to do her job.

Neither DeCosmo could be reached for comment by phone Friday.

Montone called for a revamping of bonding requirements, maintaining the current structure could deter younger candidates from seeking posts.

The county has long required elected collectors to obtain bonding for one-third of the maximum real estate taxes that can be paid in a year. Township and school district solicitor Christopher Slusser has questioned the county’s legal authority for this mandate because nobody has produced proof the percentage was approved by the county Court of Common Pleas as required by state law.

County officials have said they are reviewing the matter to determine what percentage will be sought in court for future years.

Hazle’s tax base

Using the traditional one-third, the Hazle Township tax collector must be bonded for approximately $8 million because the maximum school, county and local taxes collected in the township would be $24.63 million based on current tax rates, records show.

Montone said the township’s tax base, which is the highest of all 76 county municipalities, continues to grow, primarily due to commercial and industrial expansion at the Humboldt Industrial Park. The one-third requirement makes bonding out of reach for many, he said.

“Is that going to alter who gets elected? Somebody needs to look at this,” Montone said. “What happened here is a young man who decided to step up to the plate and run got elected by 1,200 votes. He can legally take the seat, but he decided not to for the taxpayers.”

County Manager C. David Pedri also praised Ryan for stepping down.

“It had to be a difficult decision, but he put the needs of the taxpayers before his own,” Pedri said Friday.

County and municipal tax bills will be mailed once Michael submits his bonding, Pedri said. Tax bills in the other 75 municipalities were mailed weeks ago with a Feb. 12 issue date.

Pedri had informed council March 15 was the mandatory deadline for county and municipal tax bills to be issued, but he said Friday the administration later learned that was a target date but not required.

Ryan had initially agreed to forego pay so the county did not have to shoulder an increase of approximately $24,630 for its share of the bond this year, Pedri had said. However, that solution did not address bonding increases for the school district and township or what would happen if the bond remains higher in the three remaining years of the elected term.

]]>https://www.mydallaspost.com/news/local/32492/ryan-decosmo-resigns-as-hazle-townships-new-tax-collector/feed0New Luzerne County election board member deemed eligible to servehttps://www.mydallaspost.com/news/32490/new-luzerne-county-election-board-member-deemed-eligible-to-serve
https://www.mydallaspost.com/news/32490/new-luzerne-county-election-board-member-deemed-eligible-to-serve#respondThu, 15 Mar 2018 23:27:33 +0000https://www.mydallaspost.com/?p=32490Fairview Township resident Keith Gould is permitted to serve as both a Luzerne County election board member and Republican county committee member for his township, county Chief Solicitor Romilda Crocamo said in a written opinion Thursday. Former county controller Walter Griffith had questioned Gould’s eligibility during Wednesday’s election board meeting, pointing to a county home […]

]]>Fairview Township resident Keith Gould is permitted to serve as both a Luzerne County election board member and Republican county committee member for his township, county Chief Solicitor Romilda Crocamo said in a written opinion Thursday.

Former county controller Walter Griffith had questioned Gould’s eligibility during Wednesday’s election board meeting, pointing to a county home rule charter ban that says board members can’t hold elective office.

Crocamo said her office reviewed the charter, election requirements, documents Gould submitted for the unpaid seat and past county practices before concluding the committee seat is not an elective public office.

The county law office had reached a similar conclusion in 2014 when a prior election board member held a Democratic county committee seat in Nanticoke. Committee members have no authority over government matters and essentially promote the political party and select some party leaders, a county official had argued at that time.

However, Crocamo said Gould must relinquish the election board seat if he files a petition to place his name on the ballot when the Republican committee seats are up for election again in 2020.

Gould said he is pleased the county reached a “sound decision.”

“I’ll be happy to serve,” he said.

Griffith sent county council members an email Thursday in support of his argument and criticizing the county’s failure to obtain a legal opinion before Gould’s appointment was made at Tuesday’s council meeting.

]]>LAKE TWP. — Clumps of mud and rocks turned Loyalville Road into a minefield and fueled a meeting with Williams Energy Atlantic Sunrise pipeline management team, township supervisors and the public Wednesday.

The $3 billion pipeline project is crossing through Lake Township to transport a projected 1.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas from Susquehanna County to Choctaw County, Alabama. The pipeline has eight road crossings in Lake Township, which created issues with mud and rocks tracked on roads, road flaggers delaying an elementary school bus, and work crew yelling and making obscene gestures to motorists.

“The purpose of this meeting is for you to understand what the problems are and get a solution before someone gets hurt,” township Supervisor Chairman Bob Pace said.

A month ago, Pace received a phone call from a resident at 2 a.m. reporting they thought they hit an animal on Loyalville Road and stopped their vehicle. Upon inspection, the resident saw it was a large clump of mud from the trench site of the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline, Pace said.

“We have people living in a dangerous situation,” Pace said. “It does not look like they used geo-fabric at Loyalville Road (pipeline site entrances),” he said.

Geo fabric is a permeable material used to aid in drainage and to prevent soil erosion.

Township resident Charles Kohl said he would see trucks leaving a “ribbon of mud” on the road as they exited the pipeline site.

Williams contractor Henkels & McCoy Inc. does have road sweepers that are supposed to clean mud and site debris off roadways, said Steve Jay, the construction manager, with Williams Energy Atlantic Sunrise natural gas line project.

Supervisors and residents reported seeing the trucks driving around without the brushes down.

The Williams Atlantic Sunrise project was recently issued a violation for mud on area roadways by the Luzerne Conservation District, Supervisor Vice Chairman Jerry Price said.

“It seems best management practices may be on your permit, but does your foreman understand them?” Price asked Cindy Ivey, a spokesperson; Rob Krenz, the project manager; and Jay, who are all with Williams Energy Atlantic Sunrise natural gas line project.

Site workers are supposed to notify the road sweeper drivers when a piece of equipment is leaving the pipeline site to control mud and rocks debris, Krenz said.

“It should be three to four times a day,” Krenz said. “Reports of large clumps of mud and rock is unacceptable. Crews should use shovels to remove it from roads.”

One resident suggested trucks leaving the pipeline site should stop on the rock pad and have excess rocks and mud knocked off to prevent it from collecting on the roads.

Jay said that is easier to do with bigger trucks than with the welding trucks, whose wheel wells make it difficult to see mud.

Several residents asked why the road sweepers were not using water to remove the muddy film covering Loyalville and Meeker Outlet roads.

The use of water is prohibited by the Department of Environmental Protect, Price said.

“We can recommend water usage be added to the permit,” Price said, noting the Luzerne Conservation District’s violation requires Williams to develop a corrective action plan, which gives the company an opportunity to amend the original permit.

Residents voiced concerns about other issues such as construction vehicles parking on both sides of the street, delaying a school bus filled with elementary school students, work crews yelling and making obscene gestures to motorists.

“It definitely sounds like we need to do some retraining,” Krenz said. “The buck stops with us.”

“Flaggers are expected to not use profanity or obscene gestures,” Ivey said. “That is very disturbing to us.”

Jay clarified the school bus incident on Zosh Road was delayed about 17 minutes.

“Flaggers are supposed to call the job foreman when a school bus or emergency vehicle is present,” Jay said. “The flagger felt the plate (covering a trench in the road) was not safe and held the bus. We can do better.”

Lake Township Supervisor Chairman Bob Pace talks about large clumps of mud and rock left on roadways by the Williams Energy Atlantic Sunrise pipeline construction crews at a municipal meeting on Wednesday.

]]>https://www.mydallaspost.com/news/32483/lake-twp-supervisors-residents-voice-concerns-about-pipeline-project/feed0Eligibility of new Luzerne County election board member under reviewhttps://www.mydallaspost.com/news/32478/eligibility-of-new-luzerne-county-election-board-member-under-review
https://www.mydallaspost.com/news/32478/eligibility-of-new-luzerne-county-election-board-member-under-review#respondThu, 15 Mar 2018 01:01:04 +0000https://www.mydallaspost.com/?p=32478Former Luzerne County controller Walter Griffith questioned the eligibility of newly appointed county election board member Keith Gould during Wednesday’s board meeting. Council had appointed Gould on Tuesday to an unpaid board seat that must be filled by a Republican citizen. Griffith pointed to a section of the county’s home rule charter that says no […]

]]>Former Luzerne County controller Walter Griffith questioned the eligibility of newly appointed county election board member Keith Gould during Wednesday’s board meeting.

Council had appointed Gould on Tuesday to an unpaid board seat that must be filled by a Republican citizen.

Griffith pointed to a section of the county’s home rule charter that says no election board members shall hold or have held any elective public office at the time of the appointment, while serving on the board and for at least four years prior to the appointment.

Gould disclosed that he is a Fairview Township committee member in his application for the board seat. Election records show he was elected to the Republican County Committee in the township in the April 2016 primary.

County assistant solicitor Michael Butera, who provides legal counsel to the election board, told Griffith he must research if a political party seat is considered an elective office.

County Chief Solicitor Romilda Crocamo said Wednesday her office should have an opinion on the matter Thursday.

This isn’t the first time this issue has been raised.

In 2014, the county solicitor’s office concluded Gerald Hudak would be permitted to serve on the election board while holding a Democratic county committee member seat in Nanticoke.

The charter defines elective public office as “any federal, state, county, municipal or school district position that is elective,” officials noted.

County Councilman Edward Brominski had advocated allowing Hudak to serve on the board at that time, saying he did not consider a Democratic committee seat an elective public office because committee members have no authority over government matters. Committee members essentially promote the political party and select some party leaders, he had said.

In other business Wednesday, the board unanimously voted to send a letter endorsing the proposed lease or purchase of electronic poll books from Election Systems & Software. County council will vote on the contract, which is still under negotiation.

Replacing paper poll books with electronic versions would allow for printed tickets with party affiliation that must be presented to ballot activators. It would also provide a searchable database of voters and their polling places to speed up processing on Election Day, officials have said.

Luzerne County Courthouse

https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/web1_luzcocourthouse01-1.jpgLuzerne County Courthouse

By Jennifer Learn-Andes

jandes@timesleader.com

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.

]]>https://www.mydallaspost.com/news/32478/eligibility-of-new-luzerne-county-election-board-member-under-review/feed0Back Mountain residents in the newshttps://www.mydallaspost.com/uncategorized/32476/back-mountain-residents-in-the-news-38
https://www.mydallaspost.com/uncategorized/32476/back-mountain-residents-in-the-news-38#respondThu, 15 Mar 2018 00:59:03 +0000https://www.mydallaspost.com/?p=32476Rostova starts internship at King’s College IITS WILKES-BARRE — Natasha Rostova, of Shavertown, a student at King’s College, recently began a 15-week internship at the King’s College Information and Instructional Technology Services office. She is the daughter of Neyla and Michael Church. Rostova is a senior computer and information systems major and is one of […]

WILKES-BARRE — Natasha Rostova, of Shavertown, a student at King’s College, recently began a 15-week internship at the King’s College Information and Instructional Technology Services office. She is the daughter of Neyla and Michael Church.

Rostova is a senior computer and information systems major and is one of 58 King’s students with internships at local, regional, and national organizations during the spring semester.

She is a consistent dean’s list student and a member of Delta Epsilon Sigma Honor Society.